Buying new eqipment

[MA.25]

Looking to buy first set of gear, i already have a mask and snorkel

I'm going to get some Scubapro jet fins soon when they release the new XXL size

For regulators i need a good cold water regulator, I've been looking at the Aqualung Titan LX Supreme, the Atomic Z2x and the Apeks XTX50

BC: Looking at Halcyon Infinity and Eclipse

Computer/Gauges: Suunto Gekko and Vyper look good and i might just get a Suunto pressure gauge

what are your opinions all this gear and can you recommended any other brands/models?

 

[Jrock1062]

don't buy a suunto I have one and they are way to conservative

 

[BB1]

Have you had a look at the HOG regs???

HOG reg set

Best bang for your buck out there IMHO.

I bought these as my first set and couldn't be happier! Of course others will say you need to buy a name brand with its associatted price tag but my advise is don't rush into purchasing - read a lot, try different regs out if possible as well.

I just noticed you're in OZ as well. I bought my HOG regs from DRIS (in the link!) and couldn't have been happier with their serviceas well!

BC - Halcyon is good stuff but at a price premium, Have a look at Deep Sea Supply, they have great products at a great price and will help with getting you the correct size wing for YOUR setup! Talk to Tobin in the manufacturers sub-forum.

If you're up in Brisbane anytime soon I'm happy to show you the gear I bought as listed above!

 

[Sas]

Looking to buy first set of gear, i already have a mask and snorkel

I'm going to get some Scubapro jet fins soon when they release the new XXL size

For regulators i need a good cold water regulator, I've been looking at the Aqualung Titan LX Supreme, the Atomic Z2x and the Apeks XTX50

BC: Looking at Halcyon Infinity and Eclipse

Computer/Gauges: Suunto Gekko and Vyper look good and i might just get a Suunto pressure gauge

what are your opinions all this gear and can you recommended any other brands/models?

I'd buy none of those ones, their warranty stuff, online sales policies and pricing SUCKS for Australians and I don't want to support that. DiveTub Home page @ the Dive Tub is a local place that has good regs (Zeagle) cheap, first year's service is free and you can learn to service them and buy repair kits and all that (other brands it's harder to do this and not supported by the dive shops who sell them). The owner will be very helpful if you email him and has a very good reputation.

Halcyon, again highly priced when you can get similar quality for much cheaper. There's DSS like BB1 posted, and most other brands are much cheaper and do the job just fine. For example, I got an OMS AL backplate and 45lb wing + harness for $270 from Leisurepro. Was looking at about $1k for something similar branded H.

Computer, what kind of diving will you be doing? For all around rec diving with a few extra features that might come in handy, I like the Aladin Tec2g. It's about $300, user replaceable batteries (this is a must imho for a computer), wrist style, less conservative than Suunto but still conservative, gauge mode, two gases, logs your dives for your computer, all that jazz. Suuntos not bad, but I just find them overly conservative...

For pressure gauge, brass and glass ones seem to be better than the plastic ones. You can get them cheap off Leisurepro. I got an OMS one.

 

[Jax]

Have you had a look at the HOG regs???

HOG reg set

Best bang for your buck out there IMHO.

I bought these as my first set and couldn't be happier! Of course others will say you need to buy a name brand with its associatted price tag but my advise is don't rush into purchasing - read a lot, try different regs out if possible as well.

I just noticed you're in OZ as well. I bought my HOG regs from DRIS (in the link!) and couldn't have been happier with their serviceas well!

BC - Halcyon is good stuff but at a price premium, Have a look at Deep Sea Supply, they have great products at a great price and will help with getting you the correct size wing for YOUR setup! Talk to Tobin in the manufacturers sub-forum.

If you're up in Brisbane anytime soon I'm happy to show you the gear I bought as listed above!

+1 on the HoG

 

[Bubble Junky]

I've had my Apeks for over 8 years, diving with them pretty much every day, and never had a problem. They are also easier to service than Scubapro (so I've been told), but maybe a bit more expensive......

Personally, as a dive pro, diving day in/day out, I like the conservatism of Suunto. But it does depend on the type of diving you plan to do (as mentioned above).....

 

[RAWalker]

Oceanic Delta 4 FDX10 is one of the best values in a environmentally sealed regulator.(Cold water) Don't even consider a reg that isn't environmentally sealed for cold water diving.
It is also one of the regs at the top of the list as a performer.
You should also be considering Oceanics dive computers.

 

[BB1]

+1 to what Sas said!! If possible try not to support restrictive business models such as those practiced by those companies!

For pressure gauge look at the Highland brass and glass spg from Divemania in Australia. Good price and a nice solid gauge! Divemania has some quite keen pricing on a lot of stuff and is trying to buck the trend with how they sell and their pricing. I've bought a few things from them and been very happy so far!

The tec2g was high on my list until we came into a bit of spare cash and a few other reason's revolving around buddy checks and we bought UEMIS SDA's - lots of $$'s but soooo nice.

Will still look at a tec2g as a backup later down the track

 

[TSandM]

If you aren't concerned about policy and want to buy something that is supported locally, I can tell you that we bought Aqualung Titans as our first regs and have nothing bad to say about them. They breathe well at all recreational depths, and they were not (by new gear at dive shop standards) expensive.

I have breathed the HOG regs, and am very close to replacing our entire reg fleet with them.

 

[KaizerWilhelm]

I dive HOG regs up here and I love mine. They are great for cold water and deep depths. I would dive them all the time except that the shop I work for only lets me do shop dives with stuff they sell. So for that I use a SP Mk25/S600 or Mk17/A700. However, I would dive the HOG stuff all the time if I could. Buy them. They are awesome.

BCs, I like my Zeagle Ranger Ltd. The ripcord system is great for dropping weights all in one fell swoop. The saddle strap, aka crotch strap, is great. The double cam bands are my favorite part.

Mostly, just buy the HOG and everything else will come in time.